Holding on
by moonswirl
Summary: Set after/during ATY, it's about THAT Vaughn scene ;) Wouldn't want to ruin it for people who haven't seen it... SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY... chapter two now up.
1. Hope

"Holding on"  
  
A/N: I'm doing this on memory since I don't have a tape, so I apologize if some bits aren't accurate.  
  
  
The moment he saw Sydney come running, the wave behind her, he knew something was going to happen. Something that was bound to end badly. Even as she reached him, he remained frozen in place for a few seconds before finally turning and running behind her.  
  
They were almost there, and the door had begun to close. He tried to run faster as he saw her make it past, trying to hold the door for him. It was as if everything had slowed down.  
  
He saw her fingers slide out just as the door shut completely. Their eyes met as they were separated by that door, that window. He saw the wave coming for him, he knew there was a chance he might be hurt, or worse. But there was just one thing on his mind. He had to make sure she'd be okay.  
  
He tried to make her go, even if she couldn't hear his pleas. Suddenly it was as if the air had been sucked out, and the wave crashed into him. He tried to recover as soon as possible, trying to swim in this substance, to get to see her again, through the window.  
  
He saw her grab a fire extinguisher and begin to strike at the window to try to break it. She wasn't even making a dent in it. He felt the liquid around him change. He didn't know what it was, didn't care for it that much. All that was on his mind was the possibility of Sydney getting hurt. Soon however, he started feeling dizzy. He was losing oxygen.  
  
He could sense himself losing consciousness, but he had to hold on for her. He thought of her to try to stay conscious, for as long as he could. Finally, he couldn't hold any longer, and he drifted into unconsciousness, still thinking of her.  
  
  
When he became aware of something again, he thought he was dead. He thought he'd died, and didn't know where he was. He thought maybe he'd gone to heaven, but even then, it would be his hell as long as he didn't know that Sydney had made it out safely.  
  
But then he realized he wasn't in heaven OR hell, and he was alive. He felt weak and wasn't quite sure what had happened. It took a few seconds before he understood he was bound to a chair. He raised his head for the first time and found himself sitting in front of some man he didn't know.  
  
"Where am I?" he mumbled. "Where's Sydney? What did you do to her?" Only thinking of her somehow made him grow stronger and it showed in his voice. The man didn't say a word. "Where IS SHE?" The man only stared. "Talk to me, damn it!" he nearly yelled as he tried to stand only to be pushed back down in his chair.  
  
"Do not worry," the man finally spoke, "She's in good hands." His voice was so calm, it only made Vaughn angrier.  
  
"Tell me where she is!" he yelled.  
  
"Now, now..." the man said in his same calm tone, "No need to get all fired up." Vaughn remained quiet. "That's better, now..." he started as he stood and turned toward a table beside him. That's when Vaughn made his move. The man never knew what hit him as Vaughn managed to release his hands and used his chair to knock the man out. He ran for the door, with only one thing on his mind. He had to get to Sydney...  
  
*****  
  
So what do you think? Should I leave it like that or continue? Be gentle, this is my first Alias fic :) 


	2. I thought I'd lost you

Holding on  
  
A/N: Thanks for all the comments guys, really appreciated! :D  
  
Chapter 1/?  
  
The second he'd thrown the door open he came face-to-face with two guards. "Of course..." he thought to himself as he charged them. He was lucky enough that they weren't that quick and was able to knock one out almost immediately. The second gave a bit more of a fight, but it didn't last long and he was on the ground a few seconds later. He didn't waste his time and grabbed their weapons, heading down the hall.  
  
He fought off two more guards and went to turn the corner. Seconds later he felt something enter him and he nearly stumbled to the ground over the pain. He turned back against the wall, out of the way. He looked down and found blood dripping down his shirt. He'd been shot in the left shoulder. He took in a few deep breaths and turned his head to the side, trying to listen for footsteps. He heard some coming.  
  
He waited a few more seconds until the person was closer, then practically took flight, tackling his assailant. He hit him as hard as he could with his right fist until the man was unconscious. Vaughn breathed in and out a few times before getting up and running again. His shoulder was really hurting, but it didn't matter. He had to get to her.  
  
He figured as he ran that this could take forever. He had to make a more precise move to find her and soon. So when he came to another guard, he was quick to pin him against a wall, aiming a gun at his face.  
  
"You listen to me. You're going to take me to her, okay? Sydney Bristow. Heard of her?" The man didn't move. "Hey!" he said as he pushed the gun closer, "Answer me!" The man finally nodded.  
  
He let the man lead him, still holding on to him and keeping the gun close and ready to shoot if needed.  
  
They walked down the hall, down a set of stairs, through an underground hallway and into a different building. They went up three floors and walked again until they came across two guards. Vaughn indicated that he'd shoot the man if they made a move. But then they held up their weapons and fired on the man. He had no more shield. Quickly thinking he went running down the stairs to the second floor. He figured he could hide out somewhere there or find a way out. He ran out into the hall and was almost immediately rammed against the wall. He yelled out in pain when his shoulder hit the wall.  
  
"Vaughn?" he heard his 'assailant' speak. The word was barely out of her mouth and he knew, even before he opened his eyes, who would be standing there.  
  
"Sydney..." He finally opened his eyes and saw her and he thought for sure he was crying. At once both reached up to hug the other. She brushed up against his shoulder and he yelled again.  
  
"What happened?" she asked slightly frantic.  
  
"No time, we have to get out of here..." he said as he took her hand and turned to start running again.  
  
"Wait, this way," she instructed as she led him down to the stairs. They made it back to the underground tunnel, going back through the first building and to the club. They'd been followed the whole time, but once inside the club they were left alone. They knew it wasn't going to stay that way, so they had to move fast.  
  
They ran out into the street and looked around for a quick getaway. Sydney saw a car parked nearby and pointed to it. He nodded and they ran for it. She reached for her necklace and picked off one of the small rings, which served to unlock the door. She opened it and pressed the button inside to open Vaughn's as well. They both climbed in and shut the doors as she reached down to get the car started.  
  
"You're doing it wrong," Vaughn pointed out as he tried to look at what she was doing. She looked up at him. "Never mind," he said as he looked back up to see if anyone was coming.  
  
"I'm doing the best I can, here," she said, only seconds before the car started. "Ah!" she cheered to herself before the back window was shot down.  
  
"We've got company!" Vaughn yelled out as he tried to see behind them.  
  
"I figured! Hold on!" she said as she hit the gas and they sped off. The chase was on for a few minutes before they finally managed to lose their pursuers. Even after that was done, they remained silent. Finally, Sydney turned to look at him. "We really have to get your shoulder fixed."  
  
"I'll be fine," he assured her, forcing a smile to reassure her. He finally realized she'd been crying through most of their ride. "Really, I'm okay."  
  
"I thought I'd lost you back there..."  
  
"I know," he said, taking her hand again. "I'm here now." 


	3. Plan in disguise

Holding On  
  
A/N: So so sorry for the delay :)  
  
Chapter 2/?  
  
"How's your shoulder?" Sydney asked as she walked into the room.  
  
"It's felt better," Vaughn smiled weakly as he looked down to the bandage. He watched her sit down beside him.  
  
"You know how much you scared me back there?" she asked, getting to the point.  
  
"It wasn't my intention to, but still I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay, just don't do it again," she smiled.  
  
"That's a promise." They were silent for a minute.  
  
"What happens now?" she asked him.  
  
"Well, I guess we'll go home... back to work."  
  
"Like nothing happened?" He looked up to her. "I don't know if I can do that."  
  
"You have to," he insisted.  
  
"No, Vaughn, you don't understand..."  
  
"Then explain it to me," he said gently.  
  
"I'm not sure I know how." He was still looking at her, so she sighed and went on. "When I thought you were gone... I-It did something to me. Sure, I was scared; I mean you're my friend. Well I saw you that way, not just a co-worker, already but... The point is, it just clicked."  
  
"Clicked?" he repeated. He wasn't sure what she was getting at, though he was starting to get a clue.  
  
"The thought of having you just... disappear from my life without saying what was on my mind, I just couldn't. Do you understand what I'm saying?" she asked, looking into his eyes.  
  
"I think I am," he nodded. He waited a few seconds. "What do you intend to do now?"  
  
"I'm not sure. It depends on what YOU'RE thinking. Just be completely honest."  
  
"Completely honest..."  
  
"Yes," she confirmed.  
  
"Well then honestly, I think we're on the same page." She smiled so brightly he felt almost overwhelmed by how incredible it was, and he had to smile back.  
  
"Okay," she continued to smile. His face changed as a thoughtful look came over him. "What?"  
  
"I have an idea."  
  
*  
  
"He said yes? What did you say to him?" Weiss asked as he walked with Vaughn toward the parking lot. "I mean a whole week... What's your secret?"  
  
"No secret. I told him what there was to know, and he... accepted."  
  
"That's just... Hey am I going to get some of that good luck if I rub your head or..." he started as they reached Vaughn's car.  
  
"Don't even think about it."  
  
"Alright, alright. So when's your flight?"  
  
"Soon. I have to go."  
  
"Fine then. See you next week," Weiss said as Vaughn climbed into the car.  
  
*  
  
"How long is THIS trip going to be?" Francie asked Sydney as she watched her friend place some clothes in a suitcase.  
  
"I'll be gone for a week," Sydney explained.  
  
"Hey, have you heard from Will lately?" Sydney looked up. "I haven't spoken to him in a while. I hope he's okay."  
  
"I'm sure he's fine," Sydney assured her. "He's probably just really busy on a story or something."  
  
"Probably," Francie agreed. She looked around the room a few seconds, and then turned back to Sydney. "Where are you going this time?"  
  
"Uh, Toronto," she told her. She was actually leaving for Australia, but once again she found herself forced to lie to her friend.  
  
"Canada," Francie nodded, "Good... So do you need a ride to the airport?"  
  
"No, that's okay, I'm taking a cab." Sydney finished packing and called for her cab. When it arrived, Francie helped her carry her luggage to the car.  
  
"Call when you get there, okay? Because you know I'll worry."  
  
"I promise," Sydney smiled.  
  
"Okay," Francie said as she hugged her. "Have fun."  
  
"I will. Bye."  
  
*  
  
He settled into his seat and closed his eyes. He breathed deeply in and out to try to relax, but there was so much on his mind that it seemed impossible not to deal with them at the moment.  
  
He kept trying to tell himself that what he was doing might make him lose his job or something of the sort. But then part of him didn't care for the consequences. He deserved a little peace and happiness after what he'd gone through lately.  
  
He didn't know whether or not Sydney was on the same flight, and in a way he was glad. This sudden development brought more than a few new options in their relationship, among other things.  
  
He realized that things would change. Not just between them, but with work. What would happen if they became a couple? Could they even openly date? If SD-6 saw them together, they would figure out very soon he was CIA. Then what would happen? They would be suspicious if she was dating a CIA agent. The one thing they might do that came to his mind wasn't encouraging at all.  
  
For so long he'd ignored his feelings for her. He couldn't even bring himself to admit it. Then finding out about what Sydney's mother had done to his father had dropped them back a step or two.  
  
But after what had happened two days ago, he'd decided there was no point in running from it anymore. He was completely and entirely in love with her. He wasn't sure when or if he'd tell her, but when the time was right, he'd know.  
  
*  
  
She looked around for what must have been the millionth time since the beginning of the flight. She continued to feel like someone would jump out from out of nowhere to drag her back to SD-6 and THEN everything would go from bad, to worse, to worst and more.  
  
She knew why she'd gone along with this, and she wasn't regretting it, but there was always that feeling that something horrible would happen. Possibility after possibility of horrible events presented themselves in her head.  
  
She breathed in and out, trying to clear her thoughts of the bad and concentrate on the good. She'd dreamed of something like this for quite some time now. But since the chance of it becoming a reality was so slim, she didn't put too much hope into it.  
  
Then when Vaughn had suggested this, she'd accepted, still not grasping what it entailed. It finally hit her when she was back home in her bath. Then all these little questions were popping up in her head, creating a symphony of worries and hopes. It became deafening and she went to bed with a splitting headache.  
  
Waking up the next morning, she was no closer to calming herself down. Somehow, she had to go to SD-6, act like all was fine, and then get herself a week off. Only when she'd arrived Sloane was nowhere to be seen. No one knew the reason for his absence, and doing something that surprised her, she called him. The conversation, if it could be called that, had been strange. She'd barely started into the subject when Sloane accorded her the time off. She thanked him and hung up.  
  
As she had walked across the office, back to the elevator, she saw Dixon looking at her. She gave him a smile and a nod. She turned back to the elevator and got in. Before the door could close, Dixon had arrived and joined her. They were silent the whole way. They reached the parking lot and he followed her still. Tired of it she stopped them both.  
  
She asked him what was going on, that if he had something to say, he should just come right out and say it. He said that he wasn't sure who she was anymore. The statement hurt more than she'd let show. Frankly, she didn't know it herself. She told him she was someone trying to do her job. She told him she was leaving on vacation for a week, and that she hoped they'd be okay again when she returned.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted as the plane landed. Gathering her carry-on, she looked at her reflection in the window. She had to be disguised for her vacation, an indication of how much of her life was trapped in that office on sublevel 6 of Credit Dauphine.  
  
*  
  
"Here are your keys, Mr. Legrand. Welcome, and enjoy your stay."  
  
"Thank you," 'Arnaud Legrand' responded to the woman behind the counter. He followed the man carrying his suitcases, all the while scanning the lobby to try and spot Sydney. It was a hard thing to do since he had no idea what she'd look like.  
  
As he stepped into the elevator, he was unaware that just a few feet away, 'Audrey James' had walked through the door, headed for the front desk. Once she'd checked in, she was shown the way to her room.  
  
Left alone there at last, Sydney pulled off the dark wig of long hair, resting it on her bed. She sighed, opening one suitcase to find some pieces of clothing. Changing into a swimsuit, and a more comfortable outfit over it, she put the wig back on, along with a hat and sunglasses. Picking up her keys, a small handbag, and her sandals, she headed out to sit near the large pool.  
  
She ordered a drink, still having to use the Audrey British accent. She had been sitting with her drink, looking at the magnificent landscape all around her, when she heard someone with a French accent speak to her.  
  
"Pardon me, miss. May I join you?" She smiled as she turned to face him.  
  
"Of course," she nodded once.  
  
"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Arnaud Legrand."  
  
"Audrey James," she shook his hand with a grin. Their hands had barely joined when her beeper went off. Seconds later so did his. They shared a look, dropping the pleasantries. He stared down to the beeper, then back at her.  
  
"Oh, you're kidding me..." 


End file.
